


Together We'll Mend Your Heart

by wingsyouburn



Category: Final Fantasy VIII
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Daddy Issues, Found Family, Gen, Pre-Canon, Puppies, Timber Resistance, alternate first meeting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-05
Updated: 2020-09-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:55:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26303041
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wingsyouburn/pseuds/wingsyouburn
Summary: Sometimes, part of growing up is learning when you have to let go. A story of how Rinoa and Angelo became a family.
Relationships: Angelo & Rinoa Heartilly, Fury Caraway & Rinoa Heartilly, Rinoa Heartilly & Watts & Zone
Comments: 7
Kudos: 6
Collections: Press Start VI





	Together We'll Mend Your Heart

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Dee_Moyza](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dee_Moyza/gifts).



> For Dee_Moyza. I hope this fits in enough with your likes and dislikes! :3 When I saw your request for adventures with Angelo, I had to write this fic for you. I hope you enjoy! ♥

“Daddy? Can we go to the pet store?” 

Caraway scoffed, tugging on Rinoa’s hand. “We are not wasting our time staring at animals in cages.” 

She pouted. “But we don’t have to  _ leave  _ them in cages,” she argued. “We could take one with us and give it a home.” 

“For the last time, Rinoa, you are not getting a pet.” 

“Why not?” 

“Are you going to take care of it? Let it outside? Remember to give it food and water?” 

“I will! Absolutely!” At six years old, Rinoa understood that having a pet was a big responsibility. But she was ready for it. She got all good marks in school, because her daddy wanted her to, because it used to make her mommy smile. She knew what to do because it was expected of her. If she had a pet, maybe the big house wouldn’t feel so lonely all the time. 

But Julia wasn’t here anymore. Maybe if she was, then Caraway would be nicer to her and she wouldn’t argue with him all the time. Now he was never home, and Rinoa was left with her governess. Getting to spend an afternoon with her father, just the two of them, was a rarity.

Instead, Caraway made it seem like being with her was a chore. He postponed this afternoon with her for weeks, claiming to be too busy with his military job. When she asked for ice cream, he refused. Even when they went to the playground, he wouldn’t push her on the swings like the other dads and he wouldn’t help her cross the monkey bars. Rinoa wasn’t surprised when Caraway said it was time to leave not long after they got there. 

All she wanted was for her father to love her. When it was just the two of them, the unhappiness in her heart grew and grew until it was too big to stay in Rinoa’s little body anymore. 

Caraway glanced down his nose at her, one eyebrow raised. “You are too young,” he declared, “and I will not have some filthy mutt running around my home. Come, Rinoa.” 

Hanging her head, Rinoa took one last look at the pet store. A fluffy brown dog waited in the window, head on their paws, watching her back. 

_ Someday,  _ she thought to herself.  _ Someday we’ll have a pet and we’ll be a family again. Just like it was when Mommy was alive.  _

* * *

The years passed. Pets were never allowed in the Caraway mansion. Soon enough, Rinoa didn’t want to be in Caraway’s mansion, either. 

The things her father did as General of the Galbadian Army were despicable. He ordered no knock midnight raids on rebellion forces and refused to condone the torture, rape, and killing done by those under his command. Who knew what Rinoa didn’t know about her father’s role in the military - what news reports she could find were bad enough. 

Caraway never lived up to his role as a father, passing Rinoa off to governesses and then shipping her to boarding school. He never came to see her at school, never showed up for conferences or the school play, never showed a hint of interest in who Rinoa was as a person. She’d never forgive him for not being there when she needed her father most. 

But to support a government that was turning into a dictatorship? Rinoa refused. If her father wanted to choose the military over her, then so be it. She hadn’t felt like his daughter in a long time. 

So she packed her things and changed her name. Julia loved her. Julia treated Rinoa with love and affection. The name Heartilly suited Rinoa better than Caraway ever would. 

As she climbed out her bedroom window with nothing more than a duffel bag, she wondered if Caraway would bother to look for her, like one would a lost dog. Knowing him, he’d just write her off like he did everyone else. 

* * *

The news reports lied about Timber. Galbadian soldiers roamed the streets, pulling aside anyone they deemed to be suspicious. People disappeared overnight, and for no reason. The local government was nothing more than a prop for the Galbadian government, without the power to stand up for themselves. 

Rinoa didn’t care. She’d come to Timber to help, and help she would, damn it. 

Most of the rebel groups were suspicious of strangers, save for one: the Forest Owls. Zone and Watts welcomed her after a few meetings, in part because she helped the group escape from a Galbadian patrol. Also, she always brought snacks, and Rinoa made some mean chocolate chip cookies. They hunkered down in their train car base, brainstorming how they could end the Galbadian occupation of Timber. 

But still, something was missing. The base felt more like home to her than Caraway’s mansion ever could. She didn’t miss the big, empty mansion or having a chef and a maid at her beck and call. Rinoa would earn her place among the Forest Owls. They called her their Princess, but she fought just as hard as anyone else on their team. 

One night, while out on patrol, she heard a soft “woof” down an alleyway. “Rinoa,” Zone said, grabbing her hand, “where are you going?” 

“Did you hear that?” She pulled out of Zone’s grasp. “They sounded like they might be hurt.” 

“How can you tell? It’s just a dog.” 

“You don’t have to come with me.” 

Zone doubled over, clutching his stomach. “Okay. I’ll just wait here. Ulcer. I’ll keep guard.” 

Rinoa rolled her eyes. Whenever it came time for Zone to step up, something always seemed to stop him. At least his heart was in the right place.

One dim streetlight lit the alleyway in a yellowish glow. Crates and cardboard boxes, soggy from the previous day’s rain, lined either side. A brown bit of fuzz stuck out from behind a pallet. 

Sure enough, a wet dog curled up, hiding. Brown and white fur stuck to their side in clumps, in desperate need of a good brushing. 

“It’s okay, I don’t want to hurt you,” Rinoa murmured. Big brown eyes took Rinoa in as she approached. “I just want to see if you’re okay.” 

Their tail wagged, tongue lolling out of their mouth. 

“You’re a good dog, aren’t you?” She held one hand out so the dog could sniff it. “See? I’m good, too.” 

The dog nudged her hand with their nose, then licked from the tips of her fingers to her wrist. 

“We’re both alone out here, aren’t we?” she continued, scratching behind their ears. “I know what it’s like to not have anyone.” 

“Rinoa!” Zone called down the alleyway. “You’re petting it? You’re going to get bit!” 

“Shhh!” Rinoa slashed her throat with her hand. “Do you want to get caught?” She looked down at the dog, only to find them staring back. “I’m not going to leave you here,” she said, the decision already made. “You can come home with us.” 

Zone might not be happy with it, and Watts might have told her not to, but it wasn’t in Rinoa’s nature to let a creature suffer. She was not her father, and she couldn’t be so cold as to leave a stray dog out on the streets, without food and shelter. 

After all, she wasn’t a child anymore. She could take care of a dog on her own. As she led the dog out of the alleyway, she ignored her father’s old words replaying in her head. She could do this. She  _ would  _ do this. 

If only to prove Caraway’s memory wrong. 

* * *

Rinoa named her dog Sant’ Angelo di Roma - Angelo for short - and she slept in Rinoa’s room, in a nest made from old blankets and a pillow from Watts. It didn’t take long to win the boys over with their newest addition.

The pet shop in Timber carried all the supplies she needed. Angelo preferred scraps from the table to her dog food. Rinoa spoiled her more often than not, splitting her sandwiches and sneaking her extra chips whenever no one was looking. More than once, she caught Zone doing the same. Soon, her fur fluffed out, her stomach grew round, and Angelo looked content. 

Until one morning when Watts shook Rinoa awake. “Rin,” Watts said, worrying laced in his voice. “Uh, Princess? You gotta wake up.” 

“What time is it?” She covered her eyes with one hand, rolling over. 

“Early. Something’s wrong with Angelo.” 

That woke her. Rinoa jumped out of bed, wrapped her blanket around her shoulders, and darted down the hall. “Where is she?” she demanded, opening every door until she found her dog. 

Angelo took over their small living room. The couch was torn to shreds, stuffing and fabric littering the floor. She sat in the middle of the chaos, panting heavily. Rinoa ran over to the dog, collapsing beside her. “What is it?” she asked, like the dog could answer her back. “I’m here. It’s okay.” 

She petted the dog’s head, and Angelo leaned into her hand. Frowning, Rinoa looked her over - and spotted two tiny bundles of fur pressed to Angelo’s side. “Oh,” Rinoa murmured, followed by, “Oh!” 

“Is she okay?” Watts asked from the doorway. “I mean… she ate up the couch something fierce. Zone is going to be beside himself when he wakes up, you know, because it was his couch and all…” 

“She’s fine,” Rinoa assured him. “She’s doing exactly what she’s supposed to do.” She scratched behind Angelo’s ears. “She’s having puppies.” 

“Puppies!” Watt’s eyes grew large. “Are you serious?” 

“Mmmhmm. At least two so far.” She crinkled her nose at Angelo, “But maybe next time we can find you a better spot than Zone’s old couch, hmm?” 

Angelo licked her hand. 

“That’s a good girl.” Rinoa glanced over her shoulder at Watts. He stared down at his hands, wringing them together. “Let’s get her some fresh blankets and make sure she’s comfortable. She might like some water and food to eat, too.” 

“You think she’s going to have more?” Watts blinked. 

“I don’t know, but we’re going to take care of her either way,” Rinoa said, firmly. “She’s part of our family now.” She leaned down to kiss the top of Angelo’s head. “And we don’t leave family behind.” 

* * *

At the end, Angelo had four puppies, two boys and two girls. Each one looked like mini Angelos, with different shades of black and brown fur. Rinoa made sure everyone in the Forest Owls gave her a wide berth. Any new mother would be protective of her pups. Angelo would let her know when it was okay to have visitors.

They made her a new nest out of an old cardboard box and the fluffiest blankets they could find. Another resistance member, Linette from the Silver Foxes, came by to check over their newest additions. She used to run a veterinary clinic prior to the Galbadian occupation, and all of the resistance factions came to her for help with the animals. 

“It looks like Angelo knew exactly what to do,” Linette said. “If any of the puppies look like they’re struggling, let me know. For now, Angelo has things under control.” 

“Did you hear that, girl?” Rinoa told the new mother. “You’re already a good mommy!” 

By the door, Zone facepalmed. “I knew I shouldn’t have let you bring home the alley dog,” he mumbled. 

“I can hear you!” Rinoa faced him, hands on her hips. “And you love the puppies too. I saw you eyeing them.” 

“Did not!” Zone shot back. 

“Did too!” 

He doubled over. “Oh. Stomach pain. It’s okay, it’ll pass.” 

Rinoa wagged a finger at him. “And I’ll fix up your couch, don’t you worry.” 

Over the next few weeks, the puppies became more aware of the world around them. Eyes cracked open and they rooted around, exploring their environment. Angelo let Rinoa and the boys hold the puppies, as long as they didn’t take them far from her. One of the little girls curled up on Rinoa’s chest and slept, cold nose bumping into her chin. Rinoa’s heart melted all over again.

The puppies were already part of their clan. The bad days were easier when she knew she had the puppies to come home to. It was a bright spot in what could have been a dark time for the Timber Resistance. 

Rinoa was good at looking at the bright side of life. 

* * *

The puppies grew and grew. Soon Rinoa had to gate off their room, high enough so Angelo could still jump out but the puppies couldn’t follow her. In between meetings and strategy sessions, she would visit with the dogs, laying on the middle of the floor and letting the puppies run all over her. 

One tugged at her bootlaces, untying them and trying to pull the boots off her feet. Another swatted at her hand. A third wiggled her way against Rinoa’s side, hiding in her duster. 

She couldn’t remember being this happy before. Helping the Timber resistance, making a difference, taking care of the puppies, all of it felt like she was where she was supposed to be. 

Zone and Watts, too, came by to play. Watts made makeshift toys out of scraps of fabric and rope. The puppy eating her shoelaces abandoned her for Watts and a game of tug of war. Zone brought treats for Angelo, even when he didn’t want to admit to it. Rinoa watched wistfully as a sleepy puppy cuddled in his arms. 

“You know,” Zone said, softly, scratching behind the little girl’s ears, “we can’t keep all these little guys. We barely have enough room for Angelo.” 

Rinoa’s smile fell. “I know,” she admitted, “I don’t want to think about it yet.” 

“But we should,” Zone pressed. “That way we can start looking for homes. Not like we’re just going to turn them out on the street.”

She glared at him. “You’d have to go through me first.”

“You know what I mean, Rin.”

“I can put out some feelers,” Watts offered. “See who’s willing to take them. People we know, if that would make you feel better.”

Rinoa threw her hands up. “They’re not even old enough to leave Angelo yet!”

“We know,” Watts said, untangling the rope from his puppy’s mouth. The puppy barked at him, and he handed the toy over for the puppy to play with on his own. “But we need to plan for these things. And you have to admit, planning is not always our strong suit.”

Watts had a point, but Rinoa didn’t want to hear it. The puppies had only just come into their lives. She didn’t want to think about giving that happiness away. Didn’t she deserve to enjoy these moments too?

She drew her knees up to her chest. “We’ll talk about it again when they’re bigger,” she said, her voice firm. Neither Zone nor Watts challenged her. “I know we can’t keep them. I just...”

“You want to hang onto them a little longer,” Watts supplied for her.

“But part of being a good parent is knowing when to let them go and spread their wings,” Zone added. “You’ll know when it’s time.”

“And until then,” Watts scooped up a puppy of his own, nuzzling his nose against his fur, “we get to play with our puppies!”

The conversation switched to other topics after that, but the dread settled in Rinoa’s stomach. She’d have to face reality sooner or later, but not today. Today she would enjoy puppy snuggles and kisses from Angelo. Their real world responsibilities could wait.

* * *

Soon the puppies were big enough to to play outside. Rinoa found an abandoned lot for them, fenced in on all sides so the puppies couldn’t run off. Stacks of crates and pallets formed places for them to hide, burning off all that puppy energy.

It was also a great place to train Angelo. The puppies couldn’t take all of her attention, and Rinoa needed to remind her dog that she was important too. She knew the basic commands: sit, stay, lay down. Rinoa wanted to teach Angelo more than just how to play fetch.

She hid items around the lot with different scents on them - one of Watts’ old socks, a bandanna with a spritz of Rinoa’s perfume. “Okay, Angelo,” she said, holding up Watts’ other sock for her to sniff. “Recover!”

Angelo took off, sniffing around the crates and dodging her own children. One puppy swatted at her, only to be reprimanded with a sharp bark. The puppy rocked back on her back legs, barking back.

Angelo bopped her with her nose, a silent,  _ “Don’t follow me.” _

She seemed to get the message, running off to join her siblings. Satisfied, Angelo returned to her mission, returning a few minutes later with Watts’ other sock.

Rinoa sat back and watched. Angelo taught her puppies just like Rinoa taught her. Every day, the puppies grew more independent, their personalities shining through. She wanted to develop them all, give them all the love and attention they deserved.

But Zone and Watts were right. This one yard wasn’t going to be enough for five dogs Angelo’s size. Already one of the boys was digging under the fence, wiggling his body through the hole he’d made. Rinoa snatched him, cradling him to her chest. “This isn’t for you,” she murmured in the puppy’s ear. “What are you going to do out there in that big bad world? You’re too young. Stay here and be safe.” 

And she froze. 

In her voice, she heard her father. 

Caraway never looked out for her the way a father should have. He provided her with food on the table and a roof over her head, but never with the emotional support she craved. She’d grown so much since she ran away from home and came to Timber. If she’d stayed in Deling City, if she’d caved and became the perfect daughter Caraway wanted her to be, would she be happy? Would she feel like herself? 

Who was she to decide what someone else should be? Even her puppies needed the chance to be free and grow into the wonderful creatures she knew was inside them. 

She collapsed her knees, pressing a face wet with tears to the puppy’s head. Angelo laid beside her and licked at her face. “Thank you,” she whispered to Angelo. Her free hand buried into the dog’s fur, grounding herself in this moment. 

Rinoa was not her father. She never would be. She would do better, she would  _ know  _ better. She would do the right thing, even if it went against her selfish wishes. 

And she would enjoy every last minute with these four babies while they were still in her care. 

* * *

Two weeks later, all of Angelo’s puppies had new homes in the Timber Resistance. 

Linette the vet took one of the boys, promising the best care in all of Timber. Two, a boy and a girl, went with the family who lived next to the old Timber Maniacs building. Their mother owned the pub in town and often worked late nights, and having two guard dogs to look after the children would give her some peace of mind. “And they’ll help run some energy out of these little guys,” the pub owner said, ruffling her son’s hair. 

And the last puppy, the sweetest little girl, went to the woman who ran the souvenir shop by the train station. “Don’t you worry,” she said, patting Rinoa’s hand, “you can come visit her whenever you’d like. Especially if you stop by with some of those fancy cookies of yours.” 

“It would be my pleasure,” Rinoa promised. She leaned in and gave the puppy one last kiss on the head. Then she and Angelo headed back to the Forest Owls’ base, just the two of them, like it was when this first started. 

Zone waited for them outside the train, hands in his pockets. He looked nonchalant, but Rinoa knew he was waiting for her. “You doing okay?” he asked. 

Angelo leaned into Rinoa’s side. The sun set over the train car, lighting the street in shades of yellow and orange. Rinoa tilted her face into its fading warmth. Off in the distance, a train horn sounded as it departed the station. The hustle and bustle of the town formed a symphony to her ears, even if she could recognize soldiers’ footfalls in the mix. 

Perhaps it wasn’t the life General Fury Caraway wanted for his daughter, but it was the life she chose for herself. With her dog, and her friends, and the family she made. Rinoa Heartilly was going to help win this war. Timber would be free. And they could all decide who they were going to be for themselves, not because of someone else’s expectations. 

“Yeah,” Rinoa said, “I’m okay. Come on, let’s see what Watts found for dinner.” 

**Author's Note:**

> Title from Marie Digby's cover of Rihanna's "Umbrella," a song I've always associated with Rinoa. ♥ 
> 
> Also, my experience with baby puppies is limited to the time when my dog had puppies when I was 13. A trained vet I am not. Apologies for any inaccuracies.


End file.
